Time In A Bottle
by Echo Smythe
Summary: Ron and Hermione fall in love during their fifth year and face several difficulties during their final three years at Hogwarts. COMPLETE! Please Read and Review.
1. Default Chapter

TIME IN A BOTTLE 

By Echo Smythe

Copyright Ó October 2002

**DISCLAIMER: **In my perfect dream world, these characters and places would be mine and mine alone. This is not a perfect dream world, however, andI did not create any of the people or places in this story. That wonderful credit belongs to Ms. J.K. Rowling. I do not own the rights to any of the people or places in this story. I am simply borrowing them. I also do not own any of the lyrics to the songs included in this fic. Proper credit is given after each song title. Please do not sue. I am a poor college student, and I swear I'm not making any money off of this story.

RATING: PG-13 for language, violence, and some adult content. 

DEDICATION: This fic was written in loving memory of Michael. On October 9, 2000, he gave his life to save his friend's. I miss him. 215 Forever.

Due to circumstances which occurred during the writing of this fic, it is also in memory of "Maypole Joe," who left this life in September of 2002. May Cancer never take another before his or her time, and may you be at peace now. 

Finally, it is for Joe's wonderful ex-wife Jackie, to remind her to stay strong.

BASIC IDEA: Hermione and Ron admit their true feelings for each other during their fifth year at Hogwarts, and this is a quick look at various things that happen during their relationship.

Please R/R. Thanks!

Time In A Bottle 

Words and Music by Jim Croce

Copyright © 1975 Jim Croce, Atlantic Records.

_If I could save time in a bottle_

_The first thing that I'd like to do_

_Is to save every day_

_Till Eternity passes away_

_Just to spend them with you_

_If I could make days last forever_

_If words could make wishes come true_

_I'd save every day like a treasure and then,_

_Again, I would spend them with you_

_But there never seems to be enough time_

_To do the things you want to do_

_Once you find them_

_I've looked around enough to know_

_That you're the one I want to go_

_Through time with_

_If I had a box just for wishes_

_And dreams that had never come true_

_The box would be empty_

_Except for the memory_

_Of how they were answered by you_

_But there never seems to be enough time_

_To do the things you want to do_

_Once you find them_

_I've looked around enough to know_

_That you're the one I want to go_

_Through time with_


	2. Chapter One: At The Beginning

CHAPTER ONE: At The Beginning 

**__**

**_At The Beginning _**

Performed by Richard Marx and Donna Lewis

_We were strangers_

_Starting out on a journey_

_Never dreaming what we'd have to go through_

_Now here we are_

_And I'm suddenly standing_

_At the beginning with you_

_No one told me _

_I was going to find you_

_Unexpected, what you did to my heart_

_When I lost hope_

_You were there to remind me_

_This is the start_

_Life is a road, and I want to keep going_

_Love is a river I want to keep flowing_

_Life is a road, now and forever_

_Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there when the world stops turning_

_I'll be there when the storm is through_

_At the end I want to be standing at the beginning_

_With you_

_We were strangers_

_On a crazy adventure_

_Never dreaming how are dreams could come true_

_Now here we stand_

_Unafraid of the future_

_At the beginning with you_

_And life is a road, and I want to keep going_

_Love is a river I want to keep flowing_

_Life is a road, now and forever_

_Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there when the world stops turning_

_I'll be there when the storm is through_

_At the end I want to be standing at the beginning_

_With you_

_I knew there was somebody somewhere_

_Like me alone in the dark_

_Now I know my dream will live on_

_I've been waiting so long_

_Nothing's going to tear us apart_

_And life is a road and I want to going_

_Love is a river I want to keep flowing_

_Life is a road, now and forever_

_Wonderful journey_

_I'll be there when the world stops turning_

_I'll be there when the storm is through_

_In the end I want to be standing at the beginning_

_With you_

_And life is a road, and I want to keep going_

_Love is a river I want to keep going on_

_Starting out on a journey_

_Life is a road and I want to keep going_

_Love is a river I want to keep flowing_

_In the end I want to be standing at the beginning_

_With you_

            Hermione Granger would always remember the first time she set eyes on Ronald Weasley, a.k.a. Ron. He was skinny and tall, with flaming red hair and a spot of dirt on his nose. Both had been eleven years old, and had been on the Hogwarts Express on their way to their very first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

            Hermione's first impression of Ron was not a good one. He was foolish and annoying, and sometimes she honestly felt like smacking him. Hermione learned to tolerate Ron's immaturity after he and the famous Harry Potter had saved her from a troll during their first year at Hogwarts. From that day on, the three had been inseparable, aside from a few minor fights. With Harry's courage, Hermione's vast knowledge of just about everything, and Ron's… Well, Ron's_ Ronness_, the three were unstoppable. During their first four years at Hogwarts, they had helped keep He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, a dark wizard who had once tortured many in the wizarding world, from returning to power; they had saved Ginny Weasley, Ron's sister, from the Chamber of Secrets; they had been to a Death Day party for a ghost who's self-esteem was low because he was nearly headless, but not quite; they had saved Sirius Black, Harry's Godfather, from the dementors; and Ron and Harry had arrived at school in a flying car one year, which Hermione scolded them for, although inwardly, she had been impressed.

            Now, as she boarded the Hogwarts Express to begin her fifth year, Hermione was suddenly nervous. Much had changed during the previous year. Somehow, Hermione knew that things were going to be different between her and her friends this year.

            Draco Malfoy boarded the train, immediately followed by his goons Crabbe and Goyle. Malfoy looked at Hermione. "Well, if it isn't the brainiac mudblood," he said.

            "Heh, yeah… Mudblood…" Crabbe and Goyle said in unison.

            "Don't _Beavis_ and _Butthead_ ever think for _themselves_?" Hermione asked in a patronizing tone.

            "Who?" Malfoy asked.

            "Never mind. _Beavis _and _Butthead_ clearly have a higher IQ than Crabbe and Goyle."

            "'Oy, Hermione!" A familiar voice called. Hermione felt a rush of emotions she could not identify as Ron Weasley came running toward her, Harry Potter right behind him. 

            Hermione hugged Ron and Harry, thrilled to see her best friends. She had missed them more than she had realized, particularly Ron.

            "Oh, how cute. The mudblood, the decendant of mudbloods, and the kid who is so poor he might as _well_ be a mudblood are hugging," Malfoy said dryly.

            "Shut up, Malfoy!" Ron shouted, running toward him.

            Hermione held Ron back. "It's not worth getting in trouble for, Ron," she said gently but firmly.

            "Let's go," Harry said. He was in no mood to fight today.

            Hermione and Ron followed Harry into an empty car and sat down. "How was your summer?" Hermione asked them both.

            "Lousy. I had to de-gnome the garden about fifty times!" Ron complained.

            "I had fun. I managed to spend only two days with the Dursleys. The rest of the summer, I stayed with Ron. It was great," Harry said.

            "Yeah, and Ginny was _thrilled,_" Ron said with a laugh. "She's still crazy about _brave, strong _Harry Potter who saved her from her diary." 

            "How was _your _summer, Hermione?" Harry asked, eager to change the subject.

            "Not bad," Hermione said vaguely.

            "How's _Krum_?" Ron asked, an edge of dislike in his voice at the mention of the Quidditch hero Hermione had dated the previous year.

            "I don't know. We broke up, for good."

            "Really?" Ron asked, a little too quickly.

            "Yes. He was getting to be a pain."

            "If he did anything to you, Hermione, I'll kill him!"

            "Relax, Ron. Viktor didn't do anything to me. I just realized that he is not the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. He's too serious. He was sweet and all, but it didn't work out." _Because I wanted someone else,_ Hermione added in her mind.

            "Oh. Well. Um. That's a shame for Krum, but I'm glad. He was a jerk. You deserve better."

            "Thank you."

            Conversations returned to normal after that. When they reached Hogwarts, they sat down at the Gryffindor table and watched the first years being sorted. Neville Longbottom smiled when he saw them and sat down next to Harry. "Hi guys," he said eagerly. He seemed more excited than usual.

            "What's got you so happy, Neville?" Ron asked.

            "Um…er…Nothing," Neville said quickly. Ron raised an eyebrow suspiciously, but let it go.

            For the next few days, Neville's unusual behavior continued. Finally, they found out why. As Hermione and Ron were entering the Gryffindor common room, they spotted Neville and Ginny already seated there. Something made them pause and hide. They watched as Neville handed Ginny a single red rose. 

"Oh, Neville, you're so sweet!" She kissed him.

"So much for her _brave, strong _Harry Potter," Hermione mumbled, holding back a giggle.

            "I'll _kill_ 'im!" Ron threatened, about to charge into view, but Hermione grabbed his arm.

            "Ron, Ginny is fourteen. You have to let her make her own decisions. Besides, Neville is a nice boy. He'd never hurt her," she pointed out calmly.

            "You're right," Ron said, "but she's my kid sister. I can't stand the idea of a guy kissing her."

            "You should have seen this coming. After all, they were absolutely adorable at the Yule Ball."

            "So were you." Ron paused. Had he said that aloud? "I mean-"

            "What did you say?" Hermione asked, shocked at what she had heard. 

            "I said…Um… So says you."

            "No, Ron, that's _not _what you said." She looked into his eyes. 

            "Alright, _fine_. I said _so were you_. I thought you looked cute."

            "Thank you." Hermione looked at Neville and Ginny, who were blissfully cuddling in front of the fireplace. "Let's give them some privacy." She guided Ron away. _A compliment,_ Hermione thought. _It was just a compliment from one friend to another. It didn't mean anything. It's just wishful thinking._

            Minor, awkward flirtations between Hermione and Ron continued for several weeks. Hermione chalked it up to wishful thinking. Ron decided that he was imagining things. 

            One day, Hermione and Ron were standing in the empty Gryffindor common room arguing. Their arguments were always heated, but that day's was more passionate than ever. Viktor Krum was coming to see Hermione the next day.

            "You can't do this, Hermione!" Ron was shouting, waving his arms around like a madman. 

            "Why not, Ron? Because _you _say so?" Hermione demanded. 

            "There is no telling what will happen if you're alone with him! He's such a creep!"

            "I'm a big girl, Ron. I can take care of myself."

            "I don't want you to go. He might hurt you."

            "He's just coming to visit his cousin, and he wanted to say hello. He won't hurt me."

            "He might. I don't want you to risk it."

            "You can't tell me what to do!"

            "He's a big guy, Hermione! He could crush you with one blow!"

            "He never hit me before. _Why_ would he start now?"

            "Because he's a jerk, and I'm scared for you!"

            "Ron, he won't hurt me. I know him."

            "Please, don't meet up with him. I don't trust him!"

            "_I_ trust him, Ron. I know Viktor. He won't hurt me."

            "Please, 'Mione. Please don't."

            "Why do you care so much, anyway, Ron? It's not like he's _your_ ex-boyfriend!"

            "Because I love you!" Ron had shouted it out before he could stop himself. 

            Hermione brushed it off. Wishful thinking. "I love you, too. We're friends."

            Ron wasn't going to turn back now. The truth needed to be out. "No," Ron said, softer now. "I mean… 'Mione, I'm _in _love with you." 

            Hermione froze. She was dreaming. That was it. It _had_ to be a dream.

            "I've been in love with you since forever," Ron said lamely, unable to stop now that he had started. He'd rehearsed this moment in his mind about one million times before. "I love the way you irritate me. I love the way you can get under my skin, and you always know what I'm thinking, even before _I_ do. I love your hair, and your teeth, and eyes. I love the way you consider a seven-hundred-paged book 'light reading.' I love the way you laugh. I love the way you get excited about homework. I love the way you don't ever back down from your beliefs, and how you never let Harry or me copy your homework, even though you're our friend. I… I love everything about you. There, I said it. I have just told you everything. And if you don't feel the same way, which you probably don't, then I want you to forget it." Ron stopped speaking and waited for Hermione to respond.

            Hermione began crying. "I'm sorry," Ron said. "I didn't mean to upset you! Forget it. Forget I said anything, okay?" To his shock, Hermione pulled him into a passionate kiss.

            When they both finally caught their breath, Hermione said softly, "I don't ever want to wake up."

            "What?" Ron asked.

            "I know I must be dreaming. You'd never say this to me if I were awake. This is a dream, and I don't want to wake up, because I'm too happy."

            "It's not a dream."

            "It's not?" Hermione asked, sniffling.

            "I love you, 'Mione. I just wish I'd told you sooner."

            "You told me _now_, and that's what matters. I love you, too, Ron. I broke up with Viktor because I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with _you_, and then I thought I must be insane, because you'd never want me."

            "I want you," Ron said, kissing her again. Bliss.

            And so, it began.


	3. Chapter Two: I Knew I Loved You

**CHAPTER TWO: I Knew I Loved You**

**_I Knew I Loved You_**

Performed by Savage Garden

_Maybe it's intuition  
But some things you just don't question  
Like in your eyes  
I see my future in an instant  
And there it goes  
I think I found my best friend  
I know that it might sound more than a little crazy  
But I believe _

_I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life _

_There's just no rhyme or reason  
Only this sense of completion  
And in your eyes  
I see the missing pieces  
I'm searching for  
I think I've found my way home _

_I know that it might sound more than a little crazy  
But I believe _

_I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life _

_A thousand angels dance around you  
I am complete now that I've found you _

_I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life _

_I knew I loved you before I met you  
I think I dreamed you into life  
I knew I loved you before I met you  
I have been waiting all my life_

            Although Harry was slightly surprised by the news that Ron and Hermione had confessed their love for each other, he took it well. After all, they were his best friends. 

            Once their true feelings were out in the open, nothing stood in the way of their love. It was as though the two had been together forever. On their six-month anniversary, Ron and Hermione sat in the common room where their relationship had begun. Hermione was resting in Ron's loving arms.

            "'Mione," Ron began, "I think you're right. I think this is a dream."

            "What do you mean, Ron?" Hermione asked, not moving from his embrace.

            "What I mean is that when I was little, I used to dream about the future, and the girl in it was you. She really was. It's like I knew I'd meet you eventually, I just didn't know when or how." He kissed her on top of her head, and then continued. "I love you so much, 'Mione, you have no idea. I don't even know how to put it into words."

            "You did quite well the day you confessed your love for me," Hermione reminded him, giggling.

            "You are everything I've ever hoped for."

            "I'll admit that, when I started at Hogwarts, I never thought we'd even be _friends_, Ron. Then I realized what an amazing person you are. You always annoyed me, of course, but I think that makes me love you more, somehow. You may not be what I imagined, but you're definitely exactly what I needed." 

He kissed her gently, pressing his lips against her cheek. It felt like the wings of a butterfly fluttering past. As much as she liked kissing him on the lips (and she certainly _did_ like that quite a lot), there was something about the way Ron kissed her on her cheek that was a thousand times more passionate. It was becoming a special tradition between them. 

"Promise me it will always be this way, Ron," Hermione begged softly.

"Always," Ron promised. "_Forever_."


	4. Chapter Three: You're The Inspiration

**CHAPTER THREE: You're The Inspiration**

**_You're The Inspiration_**

Performed by Chicago

_You know our love was meant to be   
The kind of love that lasts forever   
And I need you here with me   
From tonight until the end of time _

_You should know, everywhere I go   
You're always on my mind,   
In my heart, in my soul _

_You're the meaning in my life   
You're the inspiration   
You bring feeling to my life   
You're the inspiration   
Wanna have you near me   
I wanna have you hear me saying   
No one needs you more than I need you _

_And I know, yes I know that it's plain to see   
We're so in love when we're together   
And I know that I need you here with me   
From tonight until the end of time _

_You should know, everywhere I go   
You're always on my mind,   
In my heart, in my soul _

_You're the meaning in my life   
You're the inspiration   
You bring feeling to my life   
You're the inspiration   
Wanna have you near me   
I wanna have you hear me saying   
No one needs you more than I need you _

            The first six months of their relationship had been pure bliss. However, sometime during the seventh month, tensions increased, and Hermione and Ron had their first major argument since they had begun dating.

            It began innocently enough. Ron, Hermione, and Harry sat in the Gryffindor common room doing an assignment for transfiguration. Hermione, who had already managed to turn eight leaves into eight potted plants, noticed that Ron had not turned a single leaf into a plant. 

            "Ron, you're not saying it right," she said. "It's _REE_-tee-tree, not Ree-_TEE_-tree."

            Ron grumbled, and said, "_REE_-tee-tree," once again.

            "No, Ron, listen-"

            "Leave me alone, Hermione. I can do it myself," Ron insisted.

            "But if you'd just _listen_-"

            "I _said_ leave me alone." He waved the wand. "Ree-tee-_TREE_!"

            "Ron, it won't work unless-"

            "Shut _up_, Hermione!" He shouted.

            Hermione's jaw dropped. She looked away. She felt extremely hurt by the fact that Ron had raised his voice to her. 

            "Ron! She was _just_ trying to help," Harry said.

            "I don't _need_ her help!" Ron said, still shouting.

            "Fine!" Hermione shouted back, tears in her eyes. "Fail! See if _I_ care!" She gathered up her books and ran out of the common room.

            "Ron, what's the matter with you? She didn't do anything wrong," Harry said, stunned at his friend's behavior.

            Ron cursed under his breath, stood up, and went after Hermione. He found her weeping on one of the staircases.

            "'Mione…" He began, his voice back to its usual tone. "'Mione, I'm _sorry_. I didn't mean to yell at you." He sat down beside her on the third step.

            "Well, you _did_," Hermione said stubbornly, turning away from him.

            "I know I was a jerk back there. It's just that Harry had it perfect, and he's been doing well on his own this year, and you never need to help _him _anymore. I feel like a complete moron when you have to help me with my homework. Just because I'm dating the smartest girl in the school, that doesn't mean that I should have her helping me with assignments all the time. I'm not a _squib_ or anything. I feel so stupid when you help me, because you're so smart, and I'm afraid… I'm afraid you'll leave me."

            Hermione sniffled and looked up at him. "I'd _never _leave you, Ron, and certainly not over schoolwork."

            "Can you forgive me?" 

            "I…" She paused. Her feelings had been hurt, but he had a good reason for being upset.

            "Please, 'Mione. I _need _you. You're the only good thing I've got."

            Hermione hugged him. "Of _course _I forgive you, Ron."

            "Still want to help me with my homework?"

            "Nope. You're on your own!" She smiled and kissed him.


	5. Chapter Four: Truly, Madly, Deeply

CHAPTER FOUR: Truly, Madly, Deeply 

**_Truly, Madly, Deeply_**

Performed by Savage Garden

_I'll be your dream  
I'll be your wish I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope I'll be your love  
Be everything that you need  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly, madly, deeply do  
I will be strong I will be faithful  
'Cause I'm counting on _

_A new beginning  
A reason for living  
A deeper meaning _

_I want to stand with you  
On a mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to lay like this forever  
Until the sky falls down on me _

_And when the stars are shining  
Brightly in the velvet sky,  
I'll make a wish send it to heaven  
Then make you want to cry  
The tears of joy for all the  
Pleasure in the certainty  
That we're surrounded by the  
Comfort and protection of _

_The highest powers  
In lonely hours  
The tears devour you _

_I want to stand with you  
On a mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to lay like this forever  
Until the sky falls down on me _

_Oh can you see it baby?  
You don't have to close your eyes  
'Cause it's standing right here  
Before you  
All that you need will surely come _

_I'll be your dream I'll be your wish  
I'll be your fantasy  
I'll be your hope I'll be your love  
Be everything that you need  
I'll love you more with every breath  
Truly, madly, deeply do _

_I want to stand with you  
On a mountain  
I want to bathe with you in the sea  
I want to lay like this forever  
Until the sky falls down on me_

            Two people were behaving somewhat oddly during the final week of school. Cho Chang, a sixth year Ravenclaw, had been missing several classes, and had not been seen at many meals. Harry Potter had been much quieter than usual, and was avoiding his friends. For a while, Ron thought that Cho and Harry might be secretly dating. Soon, however, he and Hermione found out something quite different.

            Hermione heard the sound of sobbing coming from the girls' toilet that was haunted by Moaning Myrtle. Hermione assumed that it was Myrtle crying until she went inside and saw Cho Chang grasping a toilet and weeping over it.

            "Cho?" Hermione called gently. "Cho, are you alright?" Cho responded with more weeping. "Are you sick? Should I find Madam Pomfrey?" 

            Cho looked up from the toilet and stared at Hermione. "N-no!" She somehow managed to shout.

            "What's wrong?" Hermione asked.

            "I-I-I…_Fatalis_."

            "Fatalis? What about it?" Fatalis was the name of a potion that killed its drinker exactly one hour after it was consumed. 

            "I took it… And then I threw it up."

            Hermione sighed with relief. If Cho had been able to throw up the potion, that meant she had taken the antidote. "How did you get the antidote?" She asked.

            "I used a summoning charm to get it from Professor Snape's supply. Please don't tell him." Some of the color was returning to Cho's face.

            "I won't," Hermione promised. "Cho, why on earth would you take a Fatalis?"

            Cho had stopped crying, although the tears were still in her voice. "I just wanted it to stop."

            "Wanted_ what_ to stop?"

            "The pain."

            "What pain?"

            "Cedric." Cho began to weep again, and suddenly, Hermione understood. Cedric Diggory had been Cho's boyfriend the year before. At the end of the triwizarding tournament, Cedric and Harry had been transported by a hidden portkey to a location where He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and his minions had been waiting. Cedric had been killed, and Harry had barely escaped with his life. No one had spoken of Cedric's death since returning to school.

            "Oh, Cho, I'm sorry. I know this must have been a hard year for you," Hermione said.

            "I miss him so much, Hermione. I loved him."

            "I know."

            "It was exactly a year ago today… I couldn't take it anymore. I just wanted to be with him again."

            Hermione cautiously put an arm around Cho. She and Cho had not known each other very well, and it was somewhat awkward to comfort someone she was no close to, however Hermione knew that Cho needed support, and she was the only one available to offer it.

            "I didn't want to die," Cho went on. "Not once I thought about it. I took the potion of this insane impulse that it might bring me closer to him, and then I realized what I had done, and I summoned the antidote. I feel like an idiot. Cedric wouldn't want me to be miserable, but it's so hard _not_ to be." She sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and allowing Hermione to hold her. "He shouldn't have died. It's not fair, and I hate He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named for it, and I wish I could track him down and kill him myself, but that would put me in danger, and it wouldn't bring Cedric back." She sighed. "Its so hard. He was the first guy I ever really loved. I know he probably would want me to move on, but I don't see how I can."

            "You're not ready yet," Hermione said soothingly. "You'll know when it's time to let him go. For now, you need to feel your pain, and get through it."

            "Thank you, Hermione. I really needed to say all of that to someone."

            "It's not a problem. Anytime you want you to talk, I'll be there." Hermione was unsure as to why she was offering to be there for Cho. She had no experience with counseling people, however she felt so terrible for Cho that she was willing to try.

            Later, after making him swear not to tell a soul what she was about to say, Hermione told Ron what had happened with Cho.

            "That sucks," Ron said. "I can't believe she tried to kill herself!"

            "Ron, keep your voice down," Hermione reminded him.

            "Right, sorry. Anyway, it was great of you to offer to help her out."

            "Do you really think so?"

            "Yes, definitely. You're an angel, 'Mione. You're my 'Mione Angel." He kissed her, and Hermione temporarily forgot about everything else.

            That night, Ron went upstairs early to find Harry. He opened the door and saw Harry staring off into space. "All right there, Harry?" Ron asked cautiously. 

            "Fine," Harry mumbled.

            "I don't think you're fine," Ron argued. "What's the matter?"

            "Nothing."

            "Well, that nothing sure looks like _something_. Look at you. You've been moping around all week, avoiding everyone, and now you're staring off into space."

            "Forget it, Ron. You wouldn't understand."

            "Sure I would."

            "No. You wouldn't."

            "Harry, I'm your best mate. You've _got _to tell me what's bothering you!"

            "It's been a year, Ron!" Harry shouted. "An entire year."

            "You mean since the tournament?"

            "I mean since Cedric died because of me."

            "Because of _you_? Harry, that's ridiculous."

            "It's _true_, Ron. Cedric would not have even been there if it hadn't been for me. Voldemort" (Ron flinched at the direct mention of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named's name, but allowed Harry to continue.) "killed him because he came with me. He shouldn't have been there. He'd still be alive if I'd taken the trophy instead of arguing until we _both _ended up taking it."

            "Harry, you had no idea it was a portkey. You didn't know what was going to happen."

            "So many people cared about him, Ron, and now he's dead, and that's my fault. No matter what anyone says, it's _my _fault."

            "It's _Voldemort's_ fault!" Ron said, stunning himself at his courage to say the name. He had never said it before. "_He's_ the one who killed Cedric, Harry, _not _you. I won't let you blame yourself for something you didn't do."

            "Ron, I can't stop thinking about it. It was so fast. He died in the same exact way that my parents did. I can't stand knowing that I couldn't save any of them."

            "Harry, you were just a baby when your parents died."

            "My mother died saving my life! She died to protect me, and that _is _my fault!"

            "No, Harry! It's _not _your fault what he did to them. Your mother was heroic, and so are you."

            Harry was crying. Ron wasn't sure how to react, so he simply sat with his friend and hoped that Harry would stop hurting soon. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had not done anything noticeable for the entire year, and Ron had thought they'd get out of their fifth year without an encounter, however it appeared that he had found a way to get to them without physically making his presence known. Somehow, the emotional torment seemed far worse than the physical danger they had faced in previous years.

            Harry finally calmed down several hours later, and Ron made sure his friend had fallen asleep before he closed his own eyes and went to bed. The next morning, Ron ran to Hermione and held her. "What's wrong?" She asked.

            "Nothing, now that you're here," Ron said. He explained about Harry's emotional night.

            "You're a good friend, Ron. Harry really needed you last night. I mean, from the sound of it, he might have tried to take a Fatalis himself if you hadn't helped him calm down."

            "You really think I helped?" Ron asked.

            Harry came toward them, smiling and seeming much more peaceful than he had the entire year. "I'm absolutely certain," Hermione said, kissing Ron on the cheek.

            That afternoon, everyone got on the Hogwarts Express back to King's Cross Station. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Ginny sat together in one of the cars. 

            "I've been meaning to thank you, Hermione," Ginny said suddenly.

            "What for?" Hermione asked.

            "For going out with Ron. He's been so busy with you that he has left Neville and I alone. It's been a wonderful year."

            Hermione laughed. "I was glad to do it."

            "Now we just need to find someone for_ Harry_," Ron said, enjoying the sight of Harry's cheeks turning as red as Ron's hair.

            "That shouldn't be hard. _Everyone_ loves Harry," Neville said. He'd gotten a little less shy since dating Ginny.

            "I'm happy single, thanks," Harry mumbled.

            When they arrived at King's Cross Station, Hermione and Ron held each other close for several minutes. "I don't want to leave you," Hermione said quietly.

            "I don't want to leave you, either," Ron said. 

            "It's only two months, right? And I'll write you every day."

            "I'll write you_ twice_ a day."

            "God, you two are disgusting," Ginny said, but she was smiling.

            "I love you, 'Mione," Ron said, ignoring his sister.

            "I love you, too," Hermione said. After a final kiss, the two released each other and went their separate ways for the summer.


	6. Chapter Five: In Your Keeping

**CHAPTER FIVE: In Your Keeping**

**_In Your Keeping _****_  
  
_**

Performed by Jann Arden   
_  
Tell me I will never die   
Take away my pain   
Rock me gently in your arms   
Say that I'll remain in your keeping   
  
Brush the hair out from my eyes   
Read me a good story   
Kiss my fingertips goodnight   
Say that I can stay in your company   
  
And I know this much is true   
I have lived inside of you   
You have always seen me through   
While I am peacefully sleeping   
  
You have always been my friend   
I can see your beauty shining   
I will love you till the end   
Long will I remain in your keeping   
  
And I know this much is true   
I have lived inside of you   
You have always seen me through   
While I am peacefully sleeping   
While I am peacefully sleeping ___

            It was a long summer. The week before classes began again, Hermione met Ron and Harry in Diagon Alley. She threw her arms around them, and then kissed Ron passionately.

            "God I missed you. I missed you _so _much!" Hermione said, kissing Ron again.

            "I missed you, too, 'Mione. The summer was awful without you!" Ron said. 

            "And Harry, I missed you, too," Hermione said. "How are you?"

            "I'm fine," Harry said. He had come to terms with his grief, and was feeling quite better than he had been during the previous year.

            "How did you do on your O.W.L.s?" 

            "Top scores!" Harry said, pleased.

            "Excellent! I got top scores as well. Ron?"

            "Nearly top scores," Ron said. 

            "Good for you," Hermione said, rewarding him with a kiss.

            Things seemed to be back to normal.

            Seven weeks after school began, Hermione fell asleep in the library while studying. When she awoke, Crabbe was standing over her. "Hey, Mudblood," he mumbled.

            Hermione sat up. "What are _you _doing here, Crabbe? I didn't think you knew what a library _was_," she said bitterly.

            "Shut up!" He slapped her. Hermione was momentarily stunned. She stared at him. "Filthy Mudbloods like you need to be taught a lesson. You're not as good as you think you are." 

            Before she could react, Crabbe was on top of her. Hermione screamed, but Crabbed uttered _"Seelince"_ and no sound was heard.

Hermione's entire body went numb. She felt nothing as he invaded her body. When it was over, Crabbe smiled at her. "You _wanted_ it, you smart-ass mudblood slut." He slapped her a final time and ran off, pleased with himself. He knew Malfoy would be impressed.

            Hermione lay limp on the library floor. What had happened to her? Was she having a nightmare? She could not think straight, and finally, she passed out.

            Ron awoke with a start. Hermione needed him. He wasn't sure how he knew this, but he trusted his instincts and snuck out of the dorm room. He had a feeling she would be in the library, so that was his first stop.

            It was dark. _"Lumus"_ Ron muttered, and there was light. He saw Hermione collapsed next to one of the bookcases. "'Mione!" He called. He rushed to her side, sitting down beside her and taking her in his arms. "'Mione, what happened? Speak to me."

            Hermione was staring into space, her eyes unfocused. She was trembling. Ron wrapped his robe around her and held her. "'Mione, please talk to me. Tell me what happened."

            Hermione could not speak. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Ron could gather from her ripped clothing what had gone on, but he refused to believe it unless she told him. "Please tell me what happened. Who did this to you?"

            "Crabbe." Hermione whispered. It was so low that Ron barely heard her.

            "What did that bastard do to you?" Hermione looked into Ron's eyes, and did not need to say the words. She wept into his chest. "I'll kill 'im!" Ron shouted. "I will track him down and kill him, I swear!"      

            Ron was about to stand up when Hermione grabbed his shirt and whispered, "Don't leave me."

            Ron pulled her closer and stared into her eyes. "Never." He said. "Listen to me, 'Mione. I promise I will never, _ever_ leave you."

            "I didn't fight." She whispered. "I couldn't fight him. He was too big, and it happened so fast…" Her tears increased. "I screamed, but I didn't do anything else… I didn't even hit him… _Why_ didn't I fight him, Ron? Why didn't I try harder to stop him?" 

            "Listen to me, Hermione. This was _not _your fault," Ron said quickly. "You couldn't have stopped him. He's three times your size."

            "I was so scared, Ron… I thought he was going to kill me."

            "You're safe now. You hear me? You're safe, and I'm _never _going to let anyone hurt you again." Together they wept for the innocence they had both lost.

            Crabbe was immediately expelled from Hogwarts. Hermione spent a week in the hospital wing. Ron refused to leave her side.

            When Hermione and Ron returned to classes, word had gotten out about where they had been, and why. Malfoy had made sure to let it "slip" to some of the Slytherins what had happened, and from there, the story had spread. Hermione felt completely ashamed. Ron spent his time trying to help her ignore the stares and whispers coming from every corner.

            Everyone in Slytherin had hated Hermione before the rape, and now that Crabbe had been expelled, the animosity had grown. Everyone else avoided her. People seemed to be afraid to speak to her, as though their words might break her. Her professors went far too easy on her, excusing her from work and insisting that she needed to rest. Hermione tried to explain that she desperately needed the work to distract her, however no one seemed willing to listen. Neville and Ginny gave Hermione sympathetic looks whenever she walked by, and it was beginning to annoy her. Harry tried to act as though nothing had happened, but even _he_ could not keep the pity out of his eyes. Through the entire ordeal, only Ron was able to give Hermione what she needed. When she wanted to pretend that nothing had happened, he acted as he had before the rape. When she wanted to do work, he helped her do work. When she needed to cry, he gave her his shoulder (or his chest). When she wanted to sleep but was unable to avoid the nightmares, he held her, and it always kept the bad dreams away.


	7. Chapter Six: Will You Still Love Me?

**CHAPTER SIX: Will You Still Love Me?**

**Will You Still Love Me?**

Performed by Chicago

Take me as I am   
Put your hand in mine now and forever   
Darling here I stand, stand before you now   
Deep inside I always knew   
  
It was you, you and me   
Two hearts drawn together bound by destiny   
It was you, and you for me   
Every road leads to your door   
Every step I take for evermore   
  
 Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life   
I gotta lotta love and I don't want to let go   
Will you still love me for the rest of my life?   
  
'Cause I can't go on   
No, I can't go on   
I can't go on   
If I'm on my own   
  
Take me as I am   
Put your heart in mine, stay with me forever   
'Cause I am just a man who never understood   
I never had a thing to prove   
'Till there was you, you and me   
Then it all came clear so suddenly   
How close to you that I wanna be   
   
Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life   
I gotta lotta love and I don't want to let go   
Will you still love me for the rest of my life?   
  
'Cause I can't go on   
No, I can't go on   
I can't go on   
If I'm on my own   
  
Do you believe a love could run so strong?   
Do you believe a love could pass you by?   
There was no special one for me   
I was the lonely one, you see   
But then my heart lost all control   
Now you're all that I know   
  
Just say you'll love me for the rest of your life   
I gotta lotta love and I don't want to let go   
Will you still love me for the rest of my life?   
  
'Cause I can't go on   
No, I can't go on   
I can't go on   
If I'm on my own   
  


I can't go on   
No, I can't go on   
'Cause I can't go on   
Will you still love me?   
No, I can't go on   
Just say you love me   
I can't go on   
Without somebody I can call my own   
  
'Cause I can't go on   
Will you still love me?   
No, I can't go on   
Just say you love me   
Just stay around   
  
'Cause I can't go on   
Will you still love me?   
No, I can't go on   
Just say you love me   
I can't go on   
If you could say your love   
  
'Cause I can't go on   
Will you still love me?   
No, I can't go on   
Just say you love me   
Stay around, you'll never be alone

            Five months went by before Hermione was able to sleep peacefully through a night without Ron holding her. She took the peaceful sleep as a sign that she was healing. She went to find Ron, but paused when she heard him talking to Harry in the common room.

            "I don't get it, Harry. She won't even kiss me," Ron was saying.

            "Well, Ron, she's still having a rough time," Harry replied.

            "Yeah, but she trusts me. I miss her. I wish she'd let me kiss her."

            "Oh my God, Ron, how can you be so insensitive?" Hermione shouted, entering the room. Ron and Harry froze. "I was raped five months ago! Do you expect me to just get over it or something?"

            "Hermione-" Ron began, but Hermione ran out of the room. "I did it again," he said with a sigh. He ran after her.

            Hermione was crying hysterically as she ran toward the Forbidden Forest. Blinded by her emotions, she did not care where she ended up. He's right, she thought. Ever since…that day, I've been a complete prude. I just can't stand to have anyone touch me, not even Ron. I love him and I know he won't hurt me, but I can't… I can't help it.

            Hermione tripped over a branch and suddenly realized she had no idea where she was. It should have been sunny, but the trees blocked out the day and she was alone in the darkness. Strange noises could be heard all around her, and Hermione knew she was in trouble.

            "Oh my God, I have to get out of here," she said aloud, standing up and wiping the dirt off of her robe. She turned around, then realized that she didn't know where the exit to the forest was. "No, God, this can't be happening." She was suddenly unable to catch her breath. Hermione, calm down. You're going to pass out, she scolded herself. Her body refused to listen to her mind, and soon she was having a full-on panic attack. 

            At that moment, Ron came running toward her. She collapsed into his arms. He carried her limp body out of the forest. "'Mione, please be okay!" He cried. "Gods, I love you! Please, I'm so sorry I hurt you! I can be such a moron sometimes. I didn't mean to say those things…" He sat down in front of the forest, still holding onto Hermione. "Please forgive me, 'Mione. I know I messed up, and really bad this time, but I didn't mean it. I love you so much. You're the only person I've ever loved, and Gods, if I lose you, I'll go insane!"

            Hermione regained some control over her body and pulled away from him. "You hate me! You hate me because I won't let you touch me. And I don't blame you."

            "No, 'Mione, no! I love you so much. Gods, you're the only good thing in my life sometimes! I need you. And I don't care if you won't let me kiss you. I understand. I really do. I'm so sorry. I never, ever meant to hurt you! That's the last thing I'd want to do in a billion years!" He looked away, because the thought of losing her made his eyes tear, and he didn't want her to see that. "Please tell me you still love me, 'Mione. Life's not worth living if I don't have you by my side."

            Hermione replied, "I will always love you, Ron Weasley, no matter how many stupid, inconsiderate things you do. It's like a disease. I can't stop." She smiled at him. "You make butterflies tap dance in my stomach."

            "Wow, am I that good?" Ron asked. Hermione punched him playfully.


	8. Chapter Seven: Trust

CHAPTER SEVEN: Trust 

**__**

**_TRUST_**

Performed by The Cure

_There's no-one left in the world   
That I can hold onto   
There is really no-one left at all   
There is only you   
And if you leave me now   
You leave all that we were   
Undone   
There is really no-one left   
You are the only one _

_And still the hardest part for you   
To put your trust in me   
I love you more than I can say   
Why won't you just believe?_

            There were three weeks left to Hermione, Ron, and Harry's sixth year. Everyone was excited. "We're going to be seventh years in a few months!" Harry shouted.

            "It's odd," Hermione said. "Time went by so quickly. I still feel as though I'm a child, and yet soon, we'll all be adult wizards. We'll be allowed to use magic freely, and Harry won't have to live with those dreadful muggles anymore. I can't believe how far we've come."

            "I can't believe it either, 'Mione," Ron said. "When I first met you, I thought you were an annoying, bossy, know-it-all who I would hate forever. Now I think you're an annoying, bossy, know-it-all who I'll _love_ forever."

            Hermione hit Ron playfully. "Oh, _you_!" She mock-scolded him.

            "You two are sickeningly cute," Ginny said, walking over to them, Neville by her side as always.

            "You should talk, Gin," Ron said. "Neville follows you around like a lost puppy looking for love."

            "Oh, _really,_ Ron! I think it's adorable how crazy for Ginny he is," Hermione said.

            "Is it adorable how crazy _I_ am for _you_?" He asked, taking her in his arms and kissing her gently. Hermione was starting to be comfortable with being touched again.

            "Oh, get a room!" Ginny teased. She then kissed Neville, who blushed a brilliant shade of red.

            The potions final exam was particularly difficult that year. Hermione had been paired with a boy from Slytherin named Hawk. When they successfully completely the project, Hawk leaned over and kissed Hermione.

            Hermione jerked away. "What are you doing?" She demanded.

            "I'm just kissing the slut who got my friend expelled," he said with rage in his eyes. He pulled her close to him and kissed her again. 

            Ron happened to be walking by the dungeon at that exact moment. He had not heard the conversation, but the kiss stood out in his mind clear as day. "No." He whispered. "No!" And he ran as fast as he could from the dungeon.

            Hermione, not willing to be a victim twice, kneed Hawk between his legs and ran after Ron. Hawk let out a yelp of pain that Hermione ignored.

            "Ron! Ron, wait!" She finally caught up to him halfway to the Gryffindor Common Room.

            "Get away from me," Ron warned.

            "Ron, please!"

            "I said, get away from me! How could you do that? How could you kiss a _Slytherin_?" He spit the word as if it were venom. "How could you lie to me and tell me you loved me?"

            "I _do_ love you! _He_ kissed _me_."

            "It takes _two_, Hermione!" Both were in tears now.

            "He caught me off guard! I didn't expect him to kiss me, it just _happened_. He said… He said I was a _slut_, Ron."

            Ron put up an emotional shield against Hermione's pain. She had hurt him. That was all he could focus on.

            "Ron, you're the only person in the world that I have left! You can't leave me! Please, at least hear my side of the story!" She begged. "You have to trust me! You know I'd never hurt you!"

            "No." He took a deep breath. "Hermione Granger, I never want to see you again." He said it calmly, matter-of-factly, as though stating the time of day or the previous day's Quidditch scores. "It's over." He walked away, and Hermione was left too stunned to respond.


	9. Chapter Eight: Stay

CHAPTER EIGHT: Stay 

You say I only hear what I want to.  
You say I talk so all the time… So.  
  
And I thought what I felt was simple,  
And I thought that I don't belong,  
And now that I am leaving,  
Now I know that I did something wrong 'cause I missed you.  
Yeah, I missed you.  
  
And you say I only hear what I want to:  
I don't listen hard,  
I don't pay attention to the distance that you're running  
Or to anyone, anywhere,  
I don't understand if you really care,  
I'm only hearing negative: no, no, no.  
  
So I turned the radio on, I turned the radio up,  
And this woman was singing my song:  
The lover's in love, and the other's run away,  
The lover is crying 'cause the other won't stay.  
  
Some of us hover when we weep for the other who was  
Dying since the day they were born.  
Well, this is not that:  
I think that I'm throwing, but I'm thrown.  
  
And I thought I'd live forever, but now I'm not so sure.  
  
You try to tell me that I'm clever,  
But that won't take me anyhow, or anywhere with you.  
  
You said that I was naive,  
And I thought that I was strong.  
I thought, "Hey, I can leave, I can leave."  
But now I know that I was wrong, 'cause I missed you.  
  
You said, "I caught you 'cause I want you and one day I'll let you go."  
"You try to give away a keeper, or keep me 'cause you know you're just scared to lose.  
And you say, "stay."  
  
You say I only hear what I want to.

            Hermione spent the next two weeks trying to talk to Ron, but he succeeded in avoiding her. Ginny turned against Hermione. "How could you betray my brother like that?" She demanded. It broke Hermione's heart, and she had not responded. Neville, who tended to follow Ginny's lead, avoided Hermione. The Gryffindors thought Hermione was a slut, the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws shared that view, and the Slytherins had always hated her anyway. She was alone, and now she did not even have Ron to turn to.

            Hermione spotted Harry in the hallway on the last day and ran up to him. He was by himself, and she knew this might be her only chance to speak to him. "Harry! Please don't walk away. Please just hear me out, alright?" She asked

            Reluctantly, Harry agreed. He hated shunning Hermione the way everyone else had, but he was Ron's best friend. What else could he do?

            "Harry, I didn't cheat on Ron. I swear it, swear it on everything that ever mattered to me. Hawk just grabbed me and kissed me," Hermione said. She tried to keep her voice level.

            "Hermione, I shouldn't get involved," Harry said. "Ron and you are both my best friends. I can't handle being in the middle of this. I care about you both."

            "I don't want you to take sides, Harry. I just want you to listen to me, because no one else will."

            "I'm listening."

            "Hawk grabbed me and kissed me. He was angry about Crabbe being expelled, and he called me… He called me a…" Hermione's voice cracked. "A slut."

            Any small idea that Hermione might be lying left Harry's mind as soon as she began to cry. "I'm sorry, Hermione. He's a jerk, and you didn't deserve that. Ron will come around, you'll see."

            "Do you really think so?"

            "I know he will. He's crazy about you."

            Hermione hugged him fiercely. "I'm so glad you're my friend, Harry. I don't think anyone except you would have listened to me."

            Harry blushed. "I believe you, Hermione. I know you wouldn't lie about something like this."

            It was harder to tell Ron his opinion on the situation. "I think she's telling the truth, Ron," Harry said cautiously.

            "You've gone bonkers, Harry," Ron said.

            "No, I mean it, Ron. She was crying. She's really upset."

            "I don't care."

            "Yes you do, you're just being stubborn."

            "She kissed a Slytherin, Harry. I can't forgive her for that."

            Hermione stood in the doorway of the car on the Hogwarts Express where Ron and Harry were talking. "Ron, please! You have to believe me! Please don't do this! I love you! Please!" She begged, nearly hysterical with tears.

            Harry hugged her, not knowing what else to do. Besides, Ron was being a moron, and Harry didn't think Hermione should have to suffer. "It's okay, Hermione. Calm down," he said gently.

            "I'm going to another car," Ron said, annoyed.

            "Stay. Please stay, Ron. Stay and maybe we can get back what we had," Hermione begged. Ron walked away without looking back.****


	10. Chapter Nine: Somewhere Out There

CHAPTER NINE: Somewhere Out There SOMEWHERE OUT THERE 

Performed by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram

Somewhere out there  
Beneath the pale moonlight  
Someone's thinking of me  
And loving me tonight 

_Somewhere out there  
Someone's saying a prayer  
That we'll find one another  
In that big somewhere out there _

_And even though I know how very far apart we are  
It helps to think we might be wishing  
On the same bright star _

_And when the night wind starts to sing a lonesome lullaby  
If helps to think we're sleeping  
Underneath the same big sky _

_Somewhere out there  
If love can see us through  
Then we'll be together  
Somewhere out there  
Out where dreams come true _

_And even though I know how very far apart we are  
It helps to think we might be wishing  
On the same bright star _

_And when the night winds starts to sing a lonesome lullaby  
It helps to think we're sleeping  
Underneath the same big sky _

_Somewhere out there  
If love can see us through (can see us through)  
Then we'll be together  
Somewhere out there  
Out where dreams come true_

            It was the longest summer of their lives. Hermione's parents took her to New York City for a vacation. She spent a large part of it in her hotel room, lying on her bed, crying hysterically. She sent several owls to Ron, but they came back with the letters unopened. 

Ron had tried to keep his mind off of Hermione's betrayal during the summer by keeping busy. The problem was that everything he did reminded him of Hermione. Going to Quidditch games reminded him of the games they had watched together. Going shopping in Diagon Alley made him remember the many times he and Hermione had gone shopping for school supplies and other items. He desperately wanted to open the many letters she sent, but fought the urge and sent them back. On top of everything, Ron had been furious with Harry for comforting Hermione when he was supposed to be _his_ best friend. In his anger, he had not said goodbye to Harry when the Hogwarts Express had reached King's Cross, and he refused to write to Harry for most of the summer.

Harry could not stand the fact that he and Ron were fighting. He had sent Ron a letter after a month had gone by, determined to put an end to the argument. Ron had been thrilled when he had spotted Hedwig flying toward his house. Harry was not angry with Ron, and he wanted to fix things. Everything would work out. Ron had written back immediately saying he was sorry for ignoring Harry, and inviting Harry to stay with him for the remainder of the summer. Harry had accepted, and had arrived by way of floo powder shortly after. 

Harry and Ron arrived at King's Cross with Ginny, who quickly ran off to find Neville. Ron was nervous. He knew he was going to see Hermione, and he was not sure what he should say when he did. He was still furious with her. Hermione, however, made it easier on Ron, avoiding the car he and Harry were sitting in.

"Hermione!" A familiar voice called. "Hermione, over here!" Hermione thought she was hallucinating for a moment. Ginny Weasley was waving at her from a seat in the car she was in. Hermione cautiously walked over to where Ginny, Neville, and Neville's toad Trevor sat.

"Hermione, I'm so glad to see you," Ginny said.

            "You are?" Hermione asked, quite confused at Ginny's warmth toward her.

            "Look, I'm sorry about what happened last year. I realized that you would never kiss a Slytherin. I mean, you _hate_ them! And I know that you love Ron. I believe you. I'm sorry I didn't believe you before, but Ron's my brother, and I'm protective of him." Ginny patted the empty seat across from her. 

            Hermione sat down, relieved. "Thank you so much for saying that, Ginny. I was convinced everyone would still hate me." She paused, and then asked sadly, "How's Ron?"

            "Miserable, although he'd never admit it. He missed you like crazy, but unfortunately, my brother knows how to hold a grudge. Give him time, and I know he'll come crawling back to you."

            "I hope you're right…" Hermione shook her head and tried to think positively. She changed the subject. "So, how was your summer?"

            "Terrible! Nevie was in Egypt with his grandmother all summer and I didn't get to see him once! It was awful. I'm so glad the summer's over so I don't have to be away from my Nevie any more."

            "I'm glad you're happy, Ginny. You deserve it."

            "So do you, Hermione, and believe me, you'll be happy again soon." Ginny sounded so certain of this that Hermione almost believed her.


	11. Chapter Ten: After All

CHAPTER TEN: After All After All   

Performed by Peter Cetera 

_  
Well, here we are again   
I guess it must be fate   
We've tried it on our own   
But deep inside we've known   
We'd be back to set things straight   
  
I still remember when   
Your kiss was so brand new   
Every memory repeats   
Every step I take retreats   
Every journey always brings me back to you   
  
After all the stops and starts   
We keep coming back to these two hearts   
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall   
  
After all that we've been through   
It all comes down to me and you   
I guess it's meant to be   
Forever you and me, After all   
  
When love is truly right   
(This time it's truly right)   
It lives from year to year  
It changes as it goes   
Oh, and on the way it grows   
But it never disappears   
  
After all the stops and starts   
We keep coming back to these two hearts  
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall   
  
After all that we've been through   
It all comes down to me and you   
I guess it's meant to be   
Forever you and me, After All   
  
Always just beyond my touch   
You know I needed you so much   
After all, what else is livin' for?   
  
After all the stops and starts   
We keep coming back to these two hearts   
Two angels who've been rescued from the fall   
  
After all that we've been through   
It all comes down to me and you   
I guess it's meant to be   
Forever you and me, After all _

            Two months into their seventh and final year at Hogwarts, Hermione and Ron still had not spoken to each other. She had done her best to avoid him whenever possible, and the few times she had run into him, he had glared at her and left the room. Ginny was still insisting that Ron would "come around" eventually.

            Harry felt like the child of a divorced couple. He spent half of his time with Ron and the other half with Hermione. Each wanted to know every detail of the other's life, however Ron was a bit less obvious about this than Hermione was. 

            Gradually, students at Hogwarts had begun to forget about what had happened between Hermione and Hawk, and everyone except Ron began treating her as they had before Ron had broken up with her. She was grateful for things going back to normal, however she missed Ron with all of her heart.

            One day, during the second month of their seventh year, Harry walked into his dorm room to find Ron crying. Ron did his best to hide his tears, mumbling something about allergies, however Harry did not fall for this. "You miss her, Ron. Admit it. You know she didn't do it and you're too stubborn to go back to her," Harry said, being a bit more forward than he had intended to be. Someone needed to help Ron realize he was making a mistake before it was too late to fix things.

            "I can't just go back to her now, Harry," Ron said stubbornly. "She kissed a Slytherin."

            "No, Ron. She was kissed _by _a Slytherin who called her a slut, and who did it to make her feel worse. Hermione did not do anything wrong, and it's time you admit that."

            "I can't…"

            "Ron, stop being stupid. Hermione still loves you. She's miserable without you."

            "She is?"

            "Yes, and it's clear that you're still bonkers about her, so why not go find her and make things right again?"

            Two hours later, Ron finally admitted that Harry was right, and left the dorm room to look for Hermione. He finally found her in the library. She spotted him in the doorway and gathered her books, ready to leave the room to avoid being glared at.

            "Wait," Ron said.

            Hermione froze. It was the first word Ron had said to her in months. She felt so much love the moment she heard his voice, until she suddenly remembered that he was angry with her. 

            "We need to talk," Ron continued. "Right now. Come with me." Hermione followed him silently. He led her to a secluded area, and paused to study her. She was prettier than he had remembered. Her eyes was full of so much knowledge, love, and something else, something Ron realize he had put there; sadness. Hermione had been miserable, and it was his fault. "I'm sorry!" He blurted out.

            Hermione blinked. She still was not sure she could believe what was happening. "I was being really stupid," Ron went on. "You didn't deserve to be treated that way. I just… I was really afraid of losing you. You don't understand what it's like for me. I never loved anyone before the way that I loved you, and when I saw you kissing that Slytherin… I just… I was crushed. And I was convinced you had cheated on me, because I had been waiting for something really bad to happen between us. We were too happy together, and I don't ever get to be happy, you know? So it made sense to me that you'd cheat on me and make me miserable. But now I realize that's not what happened. I was a complete idiot, and I'm so sorry…" He was silent then, unsure of what else to say. 

            Hermione had been hurt badly by Ron's lack of trust in her. She had wanted to hear him say these things for months, but now that he was finally saying them, she was suddenly angry. Why hadn't he trusted her in the first place? Wasn't that what love was all about?

            Ron could not stand the silence any longer. She was ignoring him. It was too late. She would not forgive him. He blurted out, "I know I messed up, but I still love you, 'Mione!"

            At the sound of Ron calling her 'Mione once again, Hermione's heart melted. "Oh God, Ron, I've missed you so much! I was so scared that you'd never forgive me! I thought I'd lost you forever!"

            "You'll _never_ lose me, 'Mione, I swear it." Ron kissed her on the cheek. 


	12. Chapter Eleven: Crash and Burn

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: Crash and Burn**

**__**

**_Crash And Burn _**

Performed by Savage Garden

_When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned it's back on you  
Give me a moment please to tame your wild wild heart  
I know you feel like the walls are closing in on you  
It's hard to find relief and people can be so cold  
When darkness is upon your door and you feel like you can't take anymore _

_Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone _

_When you feel all alone  
And a loyal friend is hard to find  
You're caught in a one way street  
With the monsters in your head  
When hopes and dreams are far away and  
You feel like you can't face the day _

_Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone _

_Because there has always been heartache and pain  
And when it's over you'll breathe again  
You'll breath again _

_When you feel all alone  
And the world has turned its back on you  
Give me a moment please  
To tame your wild wild heart _

_Let me be the one you call  
If you jump I'll break your fall  
Lift you up and fly away with you into the night  
If you need to fall apart  
I can mend a broken heart  
If you need to crash then crash and burn  
You're not alone_

            Thrilled to be reunited, Hermione and Ron spent every possible moment together, making up for lost time. While their personal lives were finally returning to normal, Harry's was getting more chaotic. His scar had been hurting, something that had not happened since their fourth year at Hogwarts when Voldemort had returned to power. He tried to brush it off as "nothing," however Hermione and Ron were concerned. Almost every day, Harry would awake with a splitting pain in his head that he caused him to cry out. Although Voldemort had not been seen since the day Cedric Diggory had died, everyone knew he was still out there. Now, it appeared, he was planning to return.

            Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent time in the library, looking over textbooks and attempting to figure out what Voldemort's next move would be. Hermione was pretty sure that, if he were going to come back, he would do so before Harry graduated from Hogwarts.

            When they weren't searching for a way to stop Voldemort for good, Hermione and Ron were holding each other, or studying together, or kissing, or laughing, or doing anything else that could be done together. They had put the past behind them, and were happier and more in love than they had ever been.

            "You know what we need to do one day?" Hermione asked Ron.

            "What?" Ron asked.

            "You and I need to go to New York City together."

            "That sounds fun. Is there any reason?"

            "Yes. I went with my parents this past summer, and I had an awful time."

            "That's not a great endorsement, 'Mione," Ron said with a laugh.

            "What I mean is, it was awful because I wasn't with _you_. I was too miserable to appreciate the wonderful city I was in. So what do you say we go there together this summer?"

            "I think that's a fabulous idea."

            "Then it's settled."

            Ron knew that this was the perfect moment to do what he'd been planning. When Hermione turned her head for a moment, he slid a Claddagh ring onto her ring finger. She gasped, then looked at him. "What's that for?" She asked.

            "It's a Claddagh ring. They're popular with muggles in Ireland. The hands are for friendship. The crown is for loyalty. The heart is for love, of course."

            "It's beautiful, Ron!" Hermione said, kissing him and then gazing at the ring.

            "I'm not finished. If you wear the heart facing out, it means that your heart is unattached. If you wear the heart facing in, you're spoken for. And sometimes," he said shyly, "It's used as a symbol of marriage."

            Hermione paused and studied him. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "So, Ron… Does this mean that we're engaged? Because I'd be honored to be your wife."

            Ron was relieved that she had said it so that he did not have to ask. In response to her answer, he kissed her on the cheek, and then on the lips.

            Ron and Hermione planned to get married as soon as they graduated from Hogwarts. Word of their engagement spread rapidly, and everyone they were close to was thrilled for them. As always, Draco Malfoy had sarcastic comments to send their way, but even he could not bring them down. Everything was perfect.

            Suddenly, the future was set in stone. Hermione would become Mrs. Ron Weasley, and they'd have at least three or four children. She'd become a professor at Hogwarts. He'd work for the Ministry of Magic. During the summer break, they would live in an apartment in New York City among the muggles. During the school year, they would live in a guesthouse at Hogwarts. With her future laid out before her, Hermione was happier than she had ever been before. And then, suddenly, everything changed.

            It was the final month of their seventh year at Hogwarts. Things had been fairly peaceful. Suddenly, Voldemort had emerged from the Forbidden Forest, followed by many of the Death Eaters. Hogwarts was in chaos. Voldemort had attempted to kill the first person he saw, which happened to be Rubeus Hagrid, caretaker at Hogwarts, as well as a close friend of Harry, Hermione, and Ron's. Professor Severus Snape had been nearby, and had jumped in front of Hagrid, getting killed in the process. Hagrid had sat, stunned, and Voldemort had left him sitting there, pleased with having killed the disloyal Death Eater instead. He quickly headed for the school, attacking students and faculty alike with the only fatal unforgivable curse, the same curse that had killed Harry's parents so many years before. Before he was able to get inside of the school, Colin Creevy, Seamus Finnigan, Argus Filch, Pavarti and Paadma Patil, and Rita Skeeter (who should not have been on the property anyway) had all fallen victim to the curse. Professor Flitwick, charms teacher at Hogwarts, had narrowly escaped death because he was tiny enough to duck out of the way of the curse. He rushed inside to warn anyone and everyone who was still in the school.

            Professor Sybil Trelawny froze in the middle of a meditation and screamed. Minerva McGonagall, who was down the hall from Sybil at the time, hurried into the room to see what was the matter. "Pavarti! One of my prize students, dead!" Sybil shouted.

            "Sybil, calm down," McGonagall began.

            "I'm serious!"

            "You always see death, dear. I'm sure this is not as bad as-"

            "Listen to me, Minerva! He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is back. I know what I am talking about."

            McGonagall was about to brush this off when she head shouting coming from outside the school. She and Sybil rushed outside and saw that green light surrounded them. They knew instantly what had happened. "I told you! I _told_ you he was back!"

            Peeves the Poltergeist floated past at that moment. "Get Dumbledore!" McGonagall shouted to him. 

            "What's the matter, Professor? Students out of bed?" Peeves asked with a grin.

            "_Now _Peeves! This is urgent!"

            "Oh, fine, never let me have any fun…" In spite of his sarcastic attitude, Peeves could see that this one time, he needed to listen to her. He quickly found Dumbledore and brought him to her. 

            "What are we going to do, Albus?" McGonagall asked.

            "We must not panic," Dumbledore said. 

            "Sybil, go find Snape. He needs to be warned, and we need his help," McGonagall said. For once, Sybil did not argue, and she hurried off to find Severus Snape.

            While McGonagall and Dumbledore made plans, Hagrid suddenly came walking toward them. "Professors!" He cried out. "Professors! You Know Who is back!"

            "We know, Hagrid," Dumbledore said.

            "He got Professor Snape, Sir. I couldn't stop him."

            McGonagall froze. "No…" She whispered. She closed her eyes for a moment, regained control, and looked at Dumbledore. "We need to find Harry. Harry is the one he'll be after."

            Harry sat inside of the school with Ron and Hermione, already aware of what was happening thanks to the pain his scar was causing him. "It's now or never," Harry said.

            "Harry, you're insane! You can't handle him alone," Hermione said.

            "I'm the only one who _can_, Hermione." He sounded far more confident than he felt.

            "We're coming with you, Harry," Ron said. "I won't let you do this by yourself."

            Together, the three friends set out to find Voldemort and to fight one final battle.

**********************************************************************************

            Moments later, they found him, sitting inside of the potions dungeon and waiting for them to arrive. With Voldemort sat the Death Eaters who had remained loyal to him, as well as Crabbe, Goyle, and Draco Malfoy. Hermione froze at the sight of Crabbe, the terror from what he had done to her returning. She clung to Ron for support. "It's alright, 'Mione. You're not alone," he said. "I won't let him touch you."

            "How sweet," Draco Malfoy said bitterly. "Weasley still thinks he can keep the little mudblood safe."

            Ron was about to attack Malfoy, but Hermione stopped him. "It's a trap," Hermione said. "Don't let him get to you. I'm okay."

            "We meet again, Harry Potter," Voldemort said, spitting out the words as though they were poison. "And this time, you won't get to walk away." He pointed the wand and mumbled the words so quickly that no one was able to react, except for Ron.

            Ron jumped in front of Harry, shouting the very words Voldemort was saying, and as the green light slammed into him, it also came out of his wand and slammed into Voldemort. Both hit the ground and lay there, completely motionless.


	13. Chapter Twelve: Eternal Flame

**CHAPTER TWELVE: Eternal Flame** **Eternal Flame**

Performed by The Bangles

_Close your eyes, give me your hand, darling  
Do you feel my heart beating  
Do you understand  
Do you feel the same  
Am I only dreaming  
Is this burning an eternal flame_

_I believe it's meant to be, darling  
I watch you when you are sleeping  
You belong with me  
Do you feel the same  
Am I only dreaming  
Or is this burning an eternal flame_

_Say my name sun shines through the rain  
A whole life so lonely  
And then you come and ease the pain  
I don't want to lose this feeling_

            For a moment, nobody moved. No one was quite sure what had happened. Then, Dumbledore, Hagrid, and McGonagall burst through the door to the potions dungeon and everyone sprang into motion. The Death Eaters gathered around Lord Voldemort, their leader, who had fallen victim to the very curse he had used on so many others. To everyone's shock, he was dead.

            Hermione and Harry hurried to Ron's side. Hermione gathered him in her arms and began to weep. "Ron! Ron, please wake up! Please! I know you're alright. You _have_ to be alright!"

            Hagrid stood at the door so that none of the Death Eaters could escape. Dumbledore and McGonagall joined Harry and Hermione. "What happened?" McGonagall asked.

            "Voldemort tried to kill me," Harry began. "And Ron…Ron jumped in front of me, and the curse hit him instead…"

            "Oh Gods…"

            "He shouted the curse out at Voldemort, and it hit him at the same time it hit Ron…"

            "What a brave thing to do…"

            "Ron! Ron, _please_!" Hermione was shouting now.

            "Hermione," Dumbledore said, taking her hand, "I'm afraid Ron is-"

            "He's going to be fine."

            "Hermione, Ron was hit by a fatal curse. You need to understand that he's-" McGonagall tried to explain.

            "No! Stop it, Professor. Don't lie to me. He's alright. I _know_ he's alright. He _has_ to be!"

            "He's _gone_, Hermione."

            "No! You're lying to me! Stop lying to me!" Hermione stood up and ran out of the dungeon.

            "Hermione, wait!" Hagrid called, trying to stop her. She kept running. Harry, who had been fighting back tears, lost his fight and began crying hysterically over the loss of his best friend.

            When Dumbledore found Hermione, she was lying on the floor of Hagrid's hut sobbing. "Fix him…" She whispered when he came inside the hut. "Fix him."

            "I'm afraid that I cannot do that, Hermione," Dumbledore said gently. 

            "I don't have anything left," Hermione said quietly. "Ron was my entire future. Everything was planned around him. Do you understand that?"

            "Hermione, I know how difficult this is for you, but you're going to have to be strong."

            "I _can't_… I can't do this without him. He's my strength." She collapsed into sobs then, and Dumbledore held her, not knowing how to comfort someone whose entire future had been taken away from her.

            The following morning was joyous for the rest of the Wizarding world, however those at Hogwarts were devastated. Although the Dark Lord was dead and would no longer be a threat to anyone, his final killing spree had taken the lives of eight people, the last of which had ended his reign of terror for good. A candlelit vigil was held that night for all those who had been killed by Voldemort.

            The Weasleys tried to find comfort in the fact that Ron had died a heroic death, however it was a small consolation. Ginny could only be consoled by Neville. Harry stayed with the Weasleys during the vigil, along with Hermione. She was silent the entire time, still in shock.

            After the vigil was over, Hermione went up to her dorm room by herself. She remembered what Cho had done two years earlier. Suddenly, Hermione knew what to do to fix everything. She could be reunited with Ron, and all she needed was a potion. Hermione sat down and made a list of the ingredients needed for the _Fatalis_ potion.


	14. Chapter Thirteen: Unchained Melody

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Unchained Melody Unchained Melody 

Lyrics by Zaret and North
    
    _Whoa! My love, my darling, _
    
    _I hunger for your touch,_
    
    _Alone. Lonely time._
    
    _And time goes by, so slowly,_
    
    _And time can do so much,_
    
    _Are you still mine?_
    
    _I need your love._
    
    _I need your love._
    
    _God speed your love to me._
    
    _Lonely rivers flow to the sea, to the sea,_
    
    _To the open arms of the sea._
    
    _Lonely rivers sigh, wait for me, wait for me,_
    
    _I'll be coming home, wait for me._
    
    _Whoa! My love, my darling,_
    
    _I hunger, hunger!, for your love,_
    
    _For love. Lonely time._
    
    _And time goes by, so slowly,_
    
    _And time can do so much,_
    
    _Are you still mine?_
    
    _I need your love._
    
    _I need your love._
    
    _God speed your love to me._

            She had collected the ingredients fairly quickly. Hermione was ready to take the potion. "I'm coming home to you, Ron," she whispered. "Home may be wherever the dead go now, but it's better than being alone, without you." 

            "Wait!" A familiar voice said. Hermione froze. She had gone insane. She was hearing Ron's voice. "Please don't do this, 'Mione."

            "Ron?" She whispered his name as if it were wrong to say it.

            "Yes. I'm here, 'Mione. I'm right here."

            "Oh Gods, I've gone insane."

            "No, you haven't. I came back to tell you not to do this. Killing yourself won't solve anything. It won't bring me back."

            "No, but it will allow me to be with you, Ron. That's what matters. I _need_ to be with you." She began to weep. "You promised you'd never leave me!"

            "I _haven't_ left you, 'Mione. I'm here now, and I'll always be with you. I will always watch over you and keep you safe."

            "But I don't want to be here unless you're here with me, _alive_."

            "'Mione, you need to listen to me. I love you, and I always will, but we can't be together the way we said we'd be. You have your entire life ahead of you."

            "I don't have anything to live for with_ you_, Ron! _You're_ my life! Everything I planned for my future revolved around _you_. Without you, I have _nothing_."

            "You have to be strong, 'Mione. You need to stay strong and live your life. Live for the both of us."

            "I don't know how to do that without you." 

The glass holding the potion fell off of the table and shattered. "I'm here, 'Mione, and I'm always going to be here to help you. But you have to let go of me. You need to survive this. I know you're strong enough to get through it."

            "I don't know if I am."

            "You _are_, trust me. And I'm always going to be here watching over you."

            Harry came into the room them, and Ron quickly vanished. "I heard glass break," Harry said, a worried expression on his face. "Are you alright?"

            Hermione stood up and ran to Harry's side. She wept into his shoulder. No words were spoken, but somehow, Harry understood. She was going to be alright.

            After graduating from Hogwarts, Hermione went to New York City, as she and Ron had intended to do before everything had changed. She wandered through Penn Station, another faceless entity among the many muggles passing through, a part of their world and yet removed, different somehow. She was searching for some sort of sign that she was doing the right thing. Suddenly, and very gently, something grazed Hermione's cheek. Although it felt as though a butterfly had fluttered past her cheek, she saw nothing. And then, she knew. "I love you, Ron," she whispered. Ron was truly watching over her, and she knew that she was going to make it.


	15. Chapter Fourteen: Because You Loved Me

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Because You Loved Me Because You Loved Me 

Performed by Celine Dion

For all those times you stood by me  
For all the truth that you made me see  
For all the joy that you brought to my life  
For all the wrong that you made right  
For every dream you made come true  
For all the love I found in you  
I'll be forever thankful baby  
You're the one who held me up  
Never let me fall  
You're the one who saw me through  
Through it all  
  
You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me  
  
You gave me wings and made me fly  
You touched my hand I could touch the sky  
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me  
You said no star was out of reach  
You stood by me and I stood tall  
I had your love I had it all  
I'm grateful for each day you gave me  
Maybe I don't know that much  
But I know this much is true  
I was blessed because I was loved by you  
  
You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me  
  
You were always there for me  
The tender wing that carried me  
A light in the dark shining your love into my life  
You've been my inspiration  
Through the lies you were the truth  
My world is a better place because of you  
  
You were my strength when I was weak  
You were my voice when I couldn't speak  
You were my eyes when I couldn't see  
You saw the best there was in me  
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach  
You gave me faith cause you believed  
I'm everything I am  
Because you loved me

            A year and a few months after Ron had died, Hermione took a position as the new charms teacher at Hogwarts when Professor Flitwick retired. Returning to Hogwarts gave Hermione the closure she had needed. Things in her life began to look up.

            Years went by before Hermione opened her heart up again, but when she did, she fell deeply in love with another professor at Hogwarts. Although her life with her new love was wonderful, Ron would forever remain the love of her life, and when she needed to be strong, it was Ron's faith in her that she remembered. Thanks to the three years she had spent with Ron, Hermione knew that she could accomplish anything. 

            With Hermione's help, Harry eventually healed from the trauma of losing so many people he had been close to. He no longer blamed himself for Ron's death, or for Cedric's, or anyone else's. Harry took the job of potions master at Hogwarts, giving him his own form of closure. 

            Although the Wizarding world now remembers Ron Weasley as the one who finally defeated Lord Voldemort, Harry and Hermione always remembered him as the stubborn boy with the red hair who changed both of their lives forever.


End file.
